Red and Green
by Contract with a K
Summary: Superboy decides to prove himself to Superman by tackling Lex Luthor himself, and it all goes downhill from there. Or, the third and fourth times Superboy was caught wearing another mentor's costume. From the Anon Meme.
1. Chapter 1

**Rating: **T

**Where else can I find this story?** All five parts are on the first page of Part 5 of the original Young Justice Anon Meme on LiveJournal.

**Summary: ** Superboy decides to prove himself to Superman by tackling Lex Luthor himself, and it all goes downhill from there. Or, the third and fourth times Superboy was caught wearing another mentor's costume. From the Anon Meme.

**Author's Notes: **This is the third part of a series of fills I put up on the Anon Meme, for a prompt requesting "5 times Superboy was caught wearing the other mentor's costumes, and one time he wasn't." Now that I've posted all of Part V: Hero on the Anon Meme, I'll be reposting the whole series here, although I will be doing tweaks and revisions. _Please note that I started this fill in May of __**2011**__, and as such, characterizations and plot events diverge very quickly from the show's continuity._ Lex Luthor, in particular, is a very different character from the one we see on the show. _  
_

**Red and Green  
****~Chapter One~**

**Masks, Part III**

Superboy has super hearing, so he can hear them, even though they're whispering four rooms away. Still, their voices are low and muffled, and it takes him a few seconds to make out the words. He realizes they're arguing, and when he realizes who's arguing, his heart leaps into his throat. It's Superman and Batman.

Superman has never once visited Mount Justice since Conner moved in.

"The team runs black ops. I need them to infiltrate—

"No. The team is _my_ black ops team. If I recall correctly, you've wanted nothing to do with them. Fine. Good. This mission is too dangerous. They're not trained yet. It's also too important. This calls for finesse and subterfuge—my strong points, not yours. If we send them gallivanting in, the whole thing is going to blow up in our faces. This isn't some fringe terrorist cult or rogue state; it's Luthor. If he catches a whiff of our involvement, he'll know we're onto him and all the work we've been doing for years will be ruined."

"I'm so sick of you treating me like an idiot. Get over yourself. Luthor is _my_ enemy. He's from my city. I don't tell you how to deal with the Joker, and you don't tell me how to deal with Luthor."

"Fine. Go marching in yourself. Take any Leaguer you can find. Go. But the kids are _my_ team. _You_ don't take them anywhere."

The conversation goes silent. He doesn't know if they're still there. He doesn't dare check. But he wishes Batman would have let them go on a mission for Superman. Maybe if Superman saw him in action… then maybe… but he doesn't dare think it through, because every time he thinks about it, his stomach flutters and flies in his torso, and then it always plummets down. He turns on his side and tries to fall asleep. It's a long time before he finally dozes off.

* * *

The next day, he asks Robin who Luthor is. Robin, he thinks is the most likely to know. But apparently, they all know.

"Luthor's Superman's worst enemy. He's a corrupt business man, has his hand in all sorts of dirty business, selling weapons to rogue states, criminals, probably outright terrorists. Superman and the League have been aware of his activities for years now—Luthor's tried to assassinate Ms. Lane several times, he almost killed Superman once. He's the only person other than Darkseid who's ever made Superman bleed. Superman know's he's guilty, but Luthor's slippery, there's always a thousand middle men between him and the incriminating evidence, and he's never taken the fall. The League can't make anything stick, so Luthor stays out of jail and king of Metropolis."

"Wait," it's M'gann who asks the question, because Superboy's too startled to ask it, "Superman's invulnerable, how'd Luthor almost kill him?"

"Kryptonite," Kaldur explains. "A little green rock. We think it's from Krypton. The radiation is poisonous to Superman."

Superboy wonders when the G-Gnomes were going to teach him about that. He wonders if kryptonite could kill him too.

"Robin," Superboy says, "Batman and Superman were arguing yesterday about Luthor—they were debating sending the team in."

KF's eyes go wide open. "Seriously? They're thinking of sending us in after Luthor? Hey, maybe they do take us seriously after all."

"Wow," Robin says slowly. He's hacking into the League's files on Luthor. "This is big."

Wally's besides Robin in a second, staring at the screen. It's filled with names and numbers. "What's it mean?"

"It means… Luthor may have screwed up. Under fifty levels of dummy corporations, Luthor wrote a check to Talia." Robin says it like it's important, but for once, it's not just Conner who has no idea what he's talking about. Robin looks around in disbelief. "Talia al Ghul."

"Oooh."

"But that means, Luthor can be tied to the Shadows." Kaldur says.

"Yes. Probably."

"Probably? What probably?" Aretmis asks. "Talia al Ghul is Ra's al Ghul's daughter."

"Talia and Ra's had a break recently," Robin explains. "It may be nothing."

"What happened between Talia and Ra's?" Artemis asks.

"Talia shot at him."

"Why? I thought she loved her father," Artemis asks.

"Yeah, she does. But he was going to kill Batman."

"And?" Superboy doesn't understand.

"And, Talia likes Batman. Which, you know, is kinda creepy and weird and gross. But whatever, maybe Talia's reformed and he's just helping her get back on her feet, or more likely, Luthor can argue that he was trying to help her get away from her father. It might not be enough to incriminate him. I think the League would need to know more."

Superboy lights up. "That's why Superman needs us to go in! He wants us to get the information from Luthor."

Robin looks up. "Superman wants us to go in? That means Batman doesn't."

"Yeah," Wally answers, "But Batman didn't want us going in to Cadmus, and look how that turned out."

"No," Robin says. "Luthor's serious business. This isn't enough, and if we go in, he's going to notice. He'll know something's up. That's why Batman doesn't want us going in."

An argument breaks out. Superboy and Wally want to do it. Robin and Kaldur think they should wait. They take it to a vote, which means it's up to the girls. Artemis, after some persuasion votes nay. Then it's up to M'gann: she can tie them up if she votes yay.

Her eyes meet his. They're serious and sad.

"No."

He feels something in his gut, and he imagines that's what being punched feels like.

Angrily, he turns away and marches to his room. He slams the door shut and cracks the wall.

* * *

Hours later, a knock comes at his door. He doesn't answer.

"Superboy?" It's M'gann. "I know you're in there."

"Go away."

"Look, I… I know why you wanted to go investigate Luthor, but, it's not, I don't think it would do any good. He's either going to come around or he's not."

He doesn't answer, but he wishes he could punch a hole through the wall.

When he hears another knock, he goes up to open the door, ready to tell M'gann off, but it's Wally, suited up and ready to go. Wally rushes in and shuts the door behind him.

"So, I've been thinking. We voted on whether the team would go investigate."

"Don't remind me."

"But, we didn't vote on whether, we, as individual superheroes could go investigate."

Superboy sees where this is going. He smiles.

"See my friend, that's the beauty of loopholes."

"So, let's go."

"Not so fast—can't believe I just said that—but anyway, Batman doesn't want it to look like the League's involved. I get that. But, Luthor did some bad stuff in Central City a while ago—if the Flash and I are there, it'll look like we're there for payback, not necessarily on League business."

Wally hands him a red costume.

"Have you gotten your super speed yet?"

"I… yes, a little bit, I'm not nearly as fast as you or Flash, but, I'm getting pretty fast."

"How many miles can you run in a minute?"

"Twelve, at least for a little while."

"At your fastest?"

"Yes."

"That's so _slow_. But it'll do. The human eye probably won't be able to tell the difference, and it's not like Flash always runs at the speed of sound."

Superboy nods. He looks down at the red costume in his hands.

"Why do I always end up wearing other mentor's costumes?"

Wally shrugs. "Eh. Long ago I learned to stop questioning these things."

* * *

Coming alone, without telling anyone, was probably a bad idea, Superboy thinks. He and Wally are stuck, their legs mired in three feet of a substance which has been specifically designed to keep them from being able to run.

Luthor's come out, and Superboy is shocked to see a simple bald man in a business suit and tie. He doesn't look threatening at all.

"Flash and Flash Junior, eh? I had hoped the League would send Superman, or at the very least, Batman, but I did think it prudent to account for all eventualities."

"We're not here on League business. Since you came all the way to Central last year to give us a present, we thought we'd come and return the favor."

Luthor turns to KF and smiles. "Ah, and I'm supposed to take the word of a snot-nosed brat? I send the League a red herring connecting me to the Shadows, and you just happen to decide to bother me within the week?"

"You know Flash, I think I'll do you a favor. Mercy, shoot the brat."

Without a word the woman behind Luthor lifts a gun and points it at Wally's head. Using every bit of strength he has, he breaks free from the floor and bounds in front of Wally. The bullet bounces off his chest.

Luthor lights up. "Superman! You did come! But why dress up like that clown? Did you think you'd fool me? I'm hurt.

"Let me see your face. I've got a present for you and I want to see you when I give it to you."

The game's up. He removes the mask.

"Sorry Luthor, you're not worth Superman's time either."

Luthor frowns. "Superboy. Superman sends me Superboy?" But then he smiles. "What are you? His bastard? I've seen him, how he squirms around you—he can't stand you."

Superboy sees red, and he's ready to punch right through Luthor's skull, when suddenly, he feels weak; he feels pain. He's never felt anything like this. He can't stand. He thinks he's going to puke, but he hasn't got the energy.

"Did I hit a nerve, Superboy? Maybe I will give Superman a present after all. Mercy, there's been a change of plans. Knock out the Flash's brat. I want to run some tests on his anatomy later. As for Superboy, I think I'm going to give him all the attention Superman won't."

Superboy thinks he might hear Wally struggle, but he can't really hear anything. His vision is going in and out of focus.

Suddenly something hits him hard in the gut. Luthor's kicked him, hard. The guy's stronger than he looks. Again. And again.

Luthor stops. He kneels down beside him and grabs him by the hair. "I think I'd like it better if you were wearing that ridiculous S. No matter.

"You've only been around for a little while. Have you seen kryptonite?" Luthor brings the little glowing green rock to his face. It's just a tiny little sliver, faintly glowing, but the green light is blinding. "It's a little bit of home. You know, home is where the heart is. Where the S is supposed to be."

Luthor grabs him, he's barely conscious already, and begins to rip the costume open, exposing his chest.

"I've never actually seen what happens when he touches this stuff, you know," and he presses the little green rock to Superboy's chest, right over where his heart is. He screams. The shock almost startles him into awareness. He's never felt anything like this. It must be what it feels like to die. He hears sizzling. His heart is rushing. His heart is weak. His heart is failing.

"No, no, don't die too soon. I can see why Superman doesn't like you. You're weak. Probably a disappointment."

Luthor takes the kryptonite away. Puts it in a little black box. It's amazing, almost immediately he can breathe again. Within a few seconds his heart is beating as it should. Within five minutes, he can get up. He looks down at his chest, where the green rock was. There's an ugly angry scar there, his flesh has bubbled up.

"I'm going to kill you."

"Ah. So at least you have a backbone. I don't think Superman could ever do something like that."

Luthor claps twice. The lights change and suddenly the room is red. "Do you like it?"

Superboy doesn't know what Luthor's talking about. All he knows is that he's going to kill him. He runs to Luthor—slowly, the kryptonite hasn't worn off yet—and punches him in the face. Luther takes it. He doesn't even budge.

"Not very strong without yellow sunlight, are you? Weak _and_ stupid. No wonder Superman doesn't like you."

Luthor punches him, right in the jaw, and he falls to the ground. Luthor is strong, and right now, he's weak. It's a good thing he's learned how to fight stronger opponents. He'll have to thank Black Canary later. But Luthor isn't one for losing. The minute it looks like he's not helpless, Luthor takes out the kryptonite again. And that's how it goes: for hours, it's pain and relief, pain and relief, pain and relief, until it's too much. Then it's just pain, and finally nothing.

**To be continued...**

**Author's Notes:** Few slight changes here. Got rid of references to "Young Justice" and replaced them with references to "the Team." Toned down the crazy on Lex, just a smidge.


	2. Chapter 2

**Rating: **T

**Where else can I find this story?** All five parts are on the first page of Part 5 of the original Young Justice Anon Meme on LiveJournal.

**Summary: ** Superboy decides to prove himself to Superman by tackling Lex Luthor himself, and it all goes downhill from there. Or, the third and fourth times Superboy was caught wearing another mentor's costume. From the Anon Meme.

**Author's Notes:** _  
_

**Red and Green  
****~Chapter Two~**

**Masks, Part III**

It's the light that wakes him up. It takes him a few blinks to realize that he's actually surprised to wake up—for a second there, he didn't think he was going to. Then panic sets in.

_Luthor_.

But then he sees it: a bright orange ball of molten fire, large and blinding against the darkness. Sun. It's an image the G-gnomes had implanted in his brain. The sun without a sky. That means space. That means the Watchtower.

And that makes him angry. Angry, because apparently, he's only invited to the Watchtower when he's not himself or when he's nearly dead. He roars in frustration and tries to move. But he can't, he's strung up—naked save for a small white brief—looking at the sun. And that only makes him angrier. He pulls, and pulls, and pulls, until, finally the manacle gives way. A loud beeping sound starts. He ignores it, or tries to. It's amazingly bothersome. Just a little beeping—you'd think it was nothing compared to Kryptonite, but no, it's just as jarring as Luthor's voice.

The doors slide open and a woman covered from head to toe in a black suit rushes in. He lunges after her, but the idiot forgets to fight and holds him tight. "You're alive! Thank all the gods of Mars!" And for a second, the anger subsides and he lets her hold him.

But then it bubbles up inside of him, again, "Who saved me?"

"Batman."

"Of course," he snorts.

"What's wrong? Aren't you glad?"

"Oh? Of course I'm glad. I'm alive. No thanks to Superman."

M'gann stands still. Her face is completely covered by the black suit. He can't tell what's written on her face. She's probably sneering. Except, M'gann doesn't sneer—No. She's probably sneering. He reaches out and yanks the mask off her face. She screams and covers her face and stumbles back looking desperately for the control panel. Her hands land on it, the door opens and she stumbles out.

He follows her, and when she removes her hands, her face is already blistering. She catches a glance of her face in the mirror, and then begins to sob.

Pathetic.

Superboy leaves her shivering and crying, and zeta beams straight back to the Mountain.

He finds Wally and Robin playing a mindless video game in front of the big-screen TV.

"Nice to know you missed me," he says, voice low and dangerous.

Those two idiots don't pick up on it. They just turn around with stupid grins on their faces. "Supey! Buddy! Good to see you!" Wally says.

"Right."

Robin raises an eyebrow behind those stupid glasses. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"If it was good to see me, you'd have been up in the Watchtower with M'gann, not here rotting your brains."

"Buddy," Wally tries to explain, "we've been going up there every day, but you've been out of commission for three weeks."

"No. Of course, I understand."

He understands these two idiots are pricks. He goes to his room and tries to sleep. But he can't, every time he closes his eyes he can see and hear Luthor and that little green rock.

_"What are you? His bastard? I've seen him, how he squirms around you—he can't stand you."_

He punches the wall and leaves a small crater there. He's not at full strength, not yet.

* * *

Superman wanted him to die. Superman wanted to send him to Luthor.

Batman didn't want to. Batman wanted him to live. Batman saved him.

He fucking hates Superman.

* * *

When he goes to shower, he sees himself in the mirror. Angry pink scars decorate his chest. Each is the same size as Luthor's green rock. Each has been lovingly and methodically arranged across his chest in the shape of Superman's crest. It makes him sick—literally, he vomits into the bathroom sink.

Luthor has paid him more attention in a single encounter than Superman. He hates that stupid S.

He punches the mirror. It shatters and falls to the floor like a silver rain. It's a good thing he's invulnerable, or else the glass would cut into his feet as he walks over it. As it is, it just crunches under him.

* * *

He spends three days in his room, punching the wall and pretending it's Superman, before Batman comes to see him. Of course. It's always Batman who comes.

Batman wants to know how he's doing.

"What does it matter?" he asks bitterly, "I'm just a weapon."

Batman seems shocked. Superboy guesses there's a first time for everything. "Superboy…" he starts, but he cuts him off:

"See, I haven't even got a real name. Superman won't give me one, and no one else has offered."

"I… I didn't realize you wanted one."

"I don't. What good would it do me? None of you think I'm a person. You're no better than Cadmus."

Batman reaches out, but Superboy brushes his hand away. "Don't pretend like you care."

"I understand you've been through a traumatic experience—but you should be aware that we care for you deeply."

"Yeah, I'm sure." He rolls his eyes. Something he picked up on TV. "You won't even let Robin tell me his real name or show me his eyes." Then he drives his fist through the table. "And Superman, I'm sure you'll tell me he cares about me too."

Batman is silent on that point, which only makes the rage bubble hotter.

"Superman wants nothing more than to be rid of me. He wanted to send me to a man who he knew had Kryptonite and was willing to use it! And like an idiot, I went."

Batman opens his mouth to answer, but he doesn't want to hear it. It's bullshit, all of it, so he runs out of the room as fast as he can. It's probably only 8 miles an hour, but it's fast enough to outrun that loser, Batman.

Robin avoids him for the rest of the day. Black Canary's let it be known that he's got to get back to training. Fat load of help that did him against an opponent with Kryptonite and red sun lamps. But, he has to go. But he needs to find a shirt. In a moment of rage he tore up the stupid black one with the stupid S on it, and he's not going out without a shirt. No way are those idiots seeing his shiny new scars.

There's nothing in his closet except that silly Batman costume and the Green Arrow one. He can't believe he used to think Batman was cool or scary. But he sees the Green Arrow costume, and suddenly he gets an idea. So he puts it on, and waits.

It's not long before Canary comes to him. He opens the door, and pulls her in to a kiss. She struggles against him, but even weak like this, he's still ten times stronger than she is. When he's had his fill, he lets her go, and the look of outrage on her face is precious.

"What?" he asks, "You couldn't keep your hands to yourself the last time I wore this costume, I thought I'd just give you what you wanted."

Black Canary looks too angry to speak. Then, "Don't come to training tonight, or tomorrow, or ever, you can rot." She storms off, and all his teammates who were looking on in the background look mortified.

* * *

The next day, he gets a visit from Superman.

At first, Superman looks uncomfortable, unsure, but as he gets closer, his face hardens.

"I don't ever want to hear about you pulling a stunt like that again," he spits out, "or by Rao boy, I will teach you a lesson."

He rolls his eyes. "Whatever Superman, you're not my father."

Superman smiles nastily. "That's right. I'm not your father. I'm glad someone finally gets it."

Superman turns to Batman, and then loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, he says, "This is bullshit, Bruce. I'm not the brat's father. I shouldn't have to deal with his crap."

For the first time ever, Batman looks stunned. Superman walks away and doesn't look back. Superboy is glad. Or he would be, if he weren't fighting off the urge to murder Superman. It'd almost be worth it, being exposed to Kryptonite, if it meant he could kill Superman.

* * *

When he gets sick of being ignored by everyone, he just leaves the HQ. He bounds all his way to Metropolis. He needs to get new shirts, right now, he's making do with the Batman costume's shirt turned inside out. He goes into the first store he sees, and then picks out what he likes and walks out. The store alarm rings and a security guard asks him to come back inside. Superboy grabs the door, yanks it off its hinges, and throws it twenty feet away.

"You really don't want to fuck with me."

The guard looks like he agrees. Superboy takes off his shirt, and the guard can't help but stare.

"What are you looking at?" he asks, and the guard just scuttles away.

He puts on one of his new shirts.

He doesn't make it very far, however, before the big blue boy scout comes down, out of the air. From the distance, Superman looks confused, but as he comes closer, Superboy can tell that it's not confusion on the Man of Steel's face, but a look that he knows all too well, because it's the same look Luthor had when he pulled out that little green rock.

"I knew you were a worthless piece of shit," Superman sneers.

"I'll show you worthless!" Superboy roars as he rams himself into Superman with all his might. It's enough to knock Superman off his feet and into a brick wall. But faster than a speeding bullet, Superman gets off his feet and returns the favor. Superboy leaves a dent when he gets up.

That's how the fight begins. Superman's punches only hurt a little at first. Then they begin to hurt more and more.

"You're no different than Luthor," Superboy spits out. Superman hits him straight in the jaw, and Superboy feels it pop out.

Superman hits him again, and he falls to the floor. Then again, and suddenly there's a crater under him. Sometime during being pummeled by Superman, Batman arrives. The Man of Steel doesn't even notice until Batman calls out, "Stop, Superman, you're going to kill him."

"That's the intention," Superman answers as he lands another punch. Superboy stumbles backwards.

Batman sees Superman isn't kidding and jumps into the fray, just low enough that Superboy can barely make it out, Batman whispers, "You've got to stop. This isn't you."

Superman shoves Batman out of the way, carelessly and with too much force. Batman flies backwards and collides with a wall. He slides down and doesn't get up. Superboy hears Robin give out a cry of anguish and sees the Boy Wonder rush to the Dark Knight. Batman isn't moving, and blood is beginning to trickle down his face. Robin cries "Get up, get UP!" Then he whispers, "No—not you too," and after no answer, he plugs his wrist computer into Batman's utility belt. "Come on, come on."

Superboy realizes Superman isn't kidding. He really is going to kill him. He barely misses another punch, but then Superman lands another one, and another one. The ground gives way under the force of Superman's fists and they fall into the sewer. It stinks, but Superboy can barely notice.

Superman is going to kill him. And now, for the first time in days, anger subsides as fear and desperation take over him.

He is going to die.

And then, he feels it, and he thinks Superman has done it, Superman has killed him. But in the last moments of consciousness, he sees Superman fall too, and someone who looks suspiciously like Robin holding something that looks suspiciously like Kryptonite.

**To be concluded...**

**Author's Notes:** No major changes, or at least, none that I can remember. I'll upload the conclusion right away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Rating: **T

**Where else can I find this story?** All five parts are on the first page of Part 5 of the original Young Justice Anon Meme on LiveJournal.

**Summary: ** Superboy decides to prove himself to Superman by tackling Lex Luthor himself, and it all goes downhill from there. Or, the third and fourth times Superboy was caught wearing another mentor's costume. From the Anon Meme.

**Author's Notes:** This is the end of Masks. The next part, Present, shall be up soon. _  
_

**Red and Green  
****~Chapter Three~**

**Masks, Part III**

He wakes up in the Watchtower infirmary again, but this time he's in a bed wearing a white robe. A man wearing bandages all over his body (some sort of Egyptian-themed hero?) stands up and walks to the bed. "How're you feeling," he asks, and it's only by voice that he recognizes the man as Batman. He's got bandages all over his head and chest, foam around his neck; his leg is in a cast, and his arm is in a sling.

"Like crap."

"Language," Batman chides.

"Sorry."

Then he remembers everything. "Oh God, I'm sorry, so sorry. God, I acted like a complete creep." He buries his face in his hands.

"Yes," Batman acknowledges. "But, it wasn't your fault." Batman shows him a picture of some red crystals. "I took these out of your body. Luthor put them in there—my guess is he used the green Kryptonite to breach the skin and lodge these in your body. I should have thought of it, but I was too busy trying to bring you back from the brink of death and it took me a few days to think of it."

"What are these?" he asks.

"Red Kryptonite. It's substantially rarer than Green Kryptonite, and so, not as well understood. As far as we know, it only impacts the mental capacities of Kryptonians. You were under its influence, and so was Superman when he got near you.

"That's why he said and did all those things."

"No, he said and did all those things because he meant them. Red Kryptonite doesn't create bad feelings. It just makes them worse. Everything I did under its influence, I felt it, it was me.

"Superman did want me to go to Luthor. He did want to get rid of me."

"I don't think so. Superman wouldn't wish what Luthor did to you on his worst enemy."

"He didn't come to rescue me—

"He didn't know you were there. I only knew to go to rescue you because Robin realized you and Kid Flash were missing and was smart enough to put two and two together. And, by the way, when you're better, we're going to have a serious talk about stupidly going into things, especially when you don't have the full team for backup, and especially when you know I don't want to send the team in.

"But for now, there are people who want to see you."

Batman almost smiles. He gets up and limps to the door and opens it. M'gann, Wally, Robin, Kaldur, Artemis, all flood in. They jump on his bed—each looks so happy to see him, it makes him want to cry. Even Black Canary is there, even though he acted like a jerk. He starts to try and apologize to each one of them, but they won't let him. They understand, it wasn't his fault. All they want to do is hug him and be glad that he's finally going to be ok.

Superman isn't there. But really, that's alright.

**To be continued in  
**

**MASKS, PART IV:  
**

**PRESENT  
**


End file.
